Golf ball retriever



Oct. 4, 1966 R. N. WARD GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Filed July 27, 1964 INVENTOR. RICHARD N. WARD ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,276,807 GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Richard N. Ward, Pembroke, Mass, assignor to Glenrieh Manufacturing Corporation, Whitman, Mass., at corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 27, 1964, Ser. No. 385,289

2 Claims. (Cl. 29466) This invention-relates to a device for retrieving golf balls and the like from water hazards and similar inaccessible locations. More particularly it relates to a small light device that may readily and conveniently be carried by a golfer in a conventional golf bag or the like for immediate use by'- the golfer should such use be necessary. 7

Of the numerous hazards employed on a golf course to make the game of golf more diflicult and more interesting, none perhaps is more frustrating to the ordinary golfer than the water hazard. The water hazard consists of a natural or artificial body or connect water located beside or across a fairway, or beside or beyond a green.

In the game of golf the water hazard constitutes an unplayable lie and a ball entering the water is replaced with a penalty of one stroke. More importantly however the water hazard constitutes a. considerable psychological hazard to the average golfer. Though there is no scientific basis for the observation, it would almost seem-at times that the water hazard has an almost magnetic attraction for the ball, and that the more a golfer tries to keep the ball out of the water the more likely it is to go in.

The principal reason for this psychological effect is that a good golf ball is too expensive for the average golfer to throw away casually. Frequently to avoid the loss of a good ball the golfer will substitute an old ball, or a badly cut ball for a good ball whenever the next stroke will bring the ball into the proximity of a water hazard. Alternatively he may use a special ball known as a floater which, unlike the standard golf ball, has a hollow center and is designed to float in water instead of sinking. in either case the cure may be as disastrous as the disease since the floater, the old ball or the cut ball tends to be somewhat less lively than a good new ball, and the use of such a dead ball may well cost the golfter an extra stroke even if he is successful in keeping the ball out of the water.

To be sure, golf courses generally provide some means for retrieving balls from water hazards. Most frequently this consists of a net mounted on the end of a long pole which is left at some point along the shore of the water hazard. Much of the time however the individual golfer is too shy to delay the game long enough to go find this net and return, and even so it would seem that the law of averages dictates that the ball would normally be just out of reach even of the long handle. It has been suggested of course that the golfer might take off his shoes and go wading after the ball. This, however, is something that is just not done in polite golfing circles.

As a result the water hazard has always represented a major source for seconds, practice balls, re-washed balls and the like, and the normal hazard is harvested regularly for the treasure trove of lost balls contained therein.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a golfer with a simple, and preferably collapsible device, that can readily be carried in the pocket of a jacket or in the ball pocket of his bag, and whichwill enable him to retrieve his ball from the water hazard easily, quickly and even from points in the water hazard beyond the reach of the ordinary net.

The nature of the device of the present invention is best understood by reference to the following description and to the attached drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention.

Patented Oct. 4, 1966 "ice FIG. 2 is a side elevation in section along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

The device of the present invention indicated v generally at 11 consists of two cfixed members 12 and21 which are joined together. Member 12 is a rectangular frame comprising two relatively long sides 13 and 14 and two relatively' short sides 15 and 16. Member 21 is three sided and comprises a relatively long side 22 and two relatively short sides 23 and 24. Sides 23 and 24 are located at either end of side 22 and extend generally perpendicular thereto. The free end of side '23 is joined to the midpoint of side 15 of member 12 and the free end of side 24 is joined to the midpoint of side :14 in such manner that side 22 extends generally parallel to sides 13 and 14 along a line substantially equidistant from both. Members 1-2 and 21 may be formed of any stiff material, although 'I prefer to use wire of an inch in diameter preferably made of brass or bronze for this purpose. In such instance the free ends of sides 23 and 24 may be brazed to the midpoints of sides 15 and 16 respectively.

Golf ball retrieving device '11 is provided with a forwardly extending yoke member 31 comprising two arms 32 and 33 mounted respectively at the midpoint of sides 15 and 16 respectively. Arms 32 and 33- meet together at a point in advance of member '12 forming a triangular member which has a dual function of providing a point of attachment for draw means, and of maintaining the member .12 in a substantially vertical position when either side '13 or side 14 is in contact with the bottom 'of the water hazard. Preferably the arms 32 and 33 are hingedly mounted for lateral movement on arms 15 and 16 so that device 11 may be collapsed to a small size and are each of approximately the same length as the length of sides 13 and 14. The outboard end of each of arms 32 and 33 is provided with an attaching member in the form of eye 34 and 35 respectively. One end of drawstring 36 is attached to one of said eyes 34 or 35 and string 36 is passed through the other of said eyes. The drawstring 36 may be of any suitable length such as 10, '15 or 20 feet or so and is provided at the other end with a knob or other suitable holding member indicated at 37.

The device is so proportioned that sides 13 and 14 are separated by a distance a little greater than the diameter of a golf ball (indicated generally at 41). Since the standard golf ball has a diameter of about 1%, a clearance between side 13 and side 14 of about 1 to 1% has proved to be adequate. The diagonal distance between side -13 and side 22 and side 14 and side 22 on the other hand is equal and is slightly less than the outside diameter of a golf ball, or in this instance using a standard ball about 1 /2". This clearance is obtained by adjusting the clearance between the inside of side 22 and the backside of the plane formed by member 12 to about 1% or 1%" by suitably adjusting the length of sides 23 and 24. It is highly desirable to have the diagonal clearance between side 13 and side 22 or between side 14 and side 22, as close to the diameter of the ball as possible so that the center of gravity of a ball contained within retriever 11 will be as far behind the plane formed by members 12 as reasonably possible. In such instance there will be no tendency for a ball once contained by retainer 11 to roll out.

In order to insure that the retriever will lie with either side 13 or side 14 on the bottom of the water hazard, sides 13 and 14 should be substantially longer than sides 15 and 16, and at least as long generally as two ball diameters. In the case of a device made for the standard golf ball, a width (measured as the clearance between sides 15 and 16) of between about 378" and about 5" has proven to be satisfactory.

In use, the golf ball retrieving device 11 is unfolded so that arms 32 and 33 form a triangle with eyes 34 and a 35 in close proximity. Then holding the free end of cord 36 device ll is tossed into the water in such manner that it lands somewhat beyond the ball 41 to be retrieved. Device 11 is then dragged along the bottom of the hazard by pulling on cord 36. Since normally the bottornof the water hazard is sand or mud, side 13 or 14 Whichever one happens to be next to the bottom tends to dig into the bottom slightly. Since pulling force is applied at a point somewhat in advance of member 12 the resistance caused by the dragging of the device along the bottom tends to lift arms 33 and 34 high enough to pass over ball 41 and to permit the ball to become entrapped inside of retriever 1 1 as retriever 11 continues to advance along the bottom of the hazard. As soon as ball 41 rolls inside of retriever 11, retriever 11 can be pulled in rapidly and lifted from the water. Since ball 41 cannot roll out of the cage formed by members 12 and 21 due to the fact that the diagonal clearance between parallel sides 13 and 22 or sides 14 and 22 is less than the diameter of the ball, the ball is carried back to the; golfers hand by retriever .11.

The golf ball retriever device 11 of this invention has proven to be very useful and very satisfactory.

I claim:

1. -A device for retrieving a spherical object of a predetermined diameter from a position of rest on a surface in an inaccessible location comprising a pair of equal length parallel members separated by a distance slightly in excess of the diameter of said spherical object, a third member arranged parallel to said pair of members at a point substantially equidistant from both members of said pair and separated from each said member by a distance substantially in excess of one-half the distance separating the members of said pair, but less than the diameter of said spherical object, the length of all three said parallel members being substantially in excess of a distance separatingsaid pair of members, support means joining said members adjacent each end thereof to maintain said members in fixed parallel relation, yoke means comprising two arms each of which are substantially as long as each of said pair of members, each of said arms being swivelly mounted at one end on said support means adjacent a respective end of said pair of members, said 'arms arranged to extend in the opposite direction from the plane of said pair of members than said third member and when extended to join at the free ends thereof at a point in advance of said pair of members midway between said support means thereby to maintain said pair of members in a substantially vertical orientation with one said member of said pair over the other, said member when one of said pair of members is resting on said surface and to fold when the device is not in use to a position substantially parallel to said pair of members with the free end of each said arm contacting the support means opposite the one towhich said arm is swively mounted, and draw means associated with said yoke means for dragging said device across said surface.

2. A retrieving device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said members, said support means and said yoke, means consist of stifi wire.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,270,632, 1/1942 Hasty 294-191 2,472,001 5/ 1949- Buhoveckey 220-19 X 3,096,883 1/1963 Llewellyn 2l1106-X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR RETRIEVING A SPHERICAL OBJECT OF A PREDETERMINED DIAMETER FROM A POSITION OF REST ON A SURFACE IN AN INACCESSIBLE LOCATION COMPRISING A PAIR OF EQUAL LENGTH PARALLEL MEMBERS SEPARATED BY A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF THE DIAMETER OF SAID SPHERICAL OBJECT, A THIRD MEMBER ARRANGED PARALLEL TO SAID PAIR OF MEMBERS AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIDISTANT FROM BOTH MEMBERS OF SAID PAIR AND SEPARATED FROM EACH SAID MEMBERS BY A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF ONE-HALF THE DISTANCE SEPARATING THE MEMBERS OF SAID PAIR, BUT LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID SPHERICAL OBJECT, THE LENGTH OF ALL THREE SAID PARALLEL MEMBERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF A DISTANCE SEPARATING SAID PAIR OF MEMBERS, SUPPORT MEANS JOINING SAID MEMBERS ADJACENT EACH END THEREOF TO MAINTAIN SAID MEMBERS IN FIXED PARALLEL RELATION,YOKE MEANS COMPRISING TWO ARMS EACH OF WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY AS LONG AS EACH OF SAID PAIR OF MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID ARMS BEING SWIVELLY MOUNTED AT ONE END ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS ADJACENT A RESPECTIVE END OF SAID PAIR OF MEMBERS, SAID ARMS ARRANGED TO EXTEND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE PLANE OF SAID PAIR OF MEMBERS THAN SAID THIRD MEMBER AND WHEN 